Call for Artist Mural Project

The Town of Vernon, Connecticut, is soliciting qualifications from professional artists or artist teams to design and install a large-scale narrative mural at 1 Prospect Street in Rockville under RFQ 2161, with proposals due July 15, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Connecticut-based artists, Rockville residents, and Vernon Public Schools alumni are strongly encouraged to apply, though the project is open to all U.S.-based artists.

The mural will occupy a concrete wall surface of approximately 460 square feet (33 feet by 12–18 feet) at a prominent entrance to the Rockville Cultural District on Route 74, visible to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The artwork must convey the dynamic energy of the Rockville area, celebrate the community's mill-town heritage, and project an optimistic revitalization vision, incorporating the theme "Threads of Community" as a baseline. Community engagement findings indicate strong preference for imagery depicting rivers or threads flowing through town, threads forming hearts or infinity symbols, and diverse faces connected by flowing lines, alongside mill heritage, local landmarks, and cultural elements.

The total project budget is $17,000, which must cover the artist stipend, materials, equipment (scaffolding and lifts), surface treatment, UV sealant, anti-graffiti coating, and personal liability insurance. Eligible candidates must be professional or semi-professional artists, designers, or fabricators age 18 or older, legally eligible to work in the United States, and available to oversee complete installation. The Town actively encourages applications from Minority Business Enterprises, Women Business Enterprises, and Small Business Enterprises.

Finalists will be selected by July 31, 2026, with finalist interviews on August 7 and artist notification on August 17. Design finalization is due August 31, 2026, and installation must be completed by December 2026. Finalists receive a $200 stipend upon written agreement and W-9 submission. Upon final selection, the Town of Vernon obtains 100% ownership of the artwork as a work made for hire, with copyright transferring to Cornerstone Foundation LLC. Proposals must be submitted as a single merged PDF to Annie Geitner at ageitner@vernon-ct.gov.